Frontal Alpha Asymmetry in Response to Stressor Moderates the Relation Between Parenting Hassles and Child Externalizing Problems

Abstract

Inequitable urban environments are associated with toxic stress and altered neural social stress processing that threatens the development of self-regulation. Some children in these environments struggle with early onset externalizing problems that are associated with a variety of negative long-term outcomes. While previous research has linked parenting daily hassles to child externalizing problems, the role of frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) as a potential modifier of this relationship has scarcely been explored. The present study examined mother-child dyads, most of whom were living in low socioeconomic status households in an urban environment and self-identified as members of racial minority groups. Analyses focused on frustration task electroencephalography (EEG) data from 67 children (mean age = 59.0 months, SD = 2.6). Mothers reported the frequency of their daily parenting hassles and their child’s externalizing problems. Frustration task FAA moderated the relationship between parenting daily hassles and child externalizing problems, but resting FAA did not. More specifically, children with left frontal asymmetry had more externalizing problems as their mothers perceived more hassles in their parenting role, but parenting hassles and externalizing problems were not associated among children with right frontal asymmetry. These findings lend support to the motivational direction hypothesis and capability model of FAA. More generally, this study reveals how individual differences in lateralization of cortical activity in response to a stressor may confer differential susceptibility to child behavioral problems with approach motivation (i.e., left frontal asymmetry) predicting externalizing problems under conditions of parental stress.

Examining the impact of prenatal maternal internalizing symptoms and socioeconomic status on children's frontal alpha asymmetry and psychopathology

“…In addition, we did not expect a significant association between right frontal alpha asymmetry and externalizing problems (H2b). Previous research has found a relation between right frontal alpha asymmetry and internalizing problems in children (e.g., Lopez-Duran et al, 2012;Mulligan et al, 2022). Past literature examining the relations between right frontal alpha asymmetry and externalizing problems has not found a link between these variables (see review by Thibodeau et al, 2006).…”

“…A possible neural mechanism that may act as a mediator in this relation is frontal alpha asymmetry, which has been associated with psychopathology in children and adults (Feng et al., 2012). In addition, maternal internalizing psychopathology and SES have also been associated in studies examining the development of frontal alpha asymmetry in children; however, this research has been mostly limited to concurrent associations and relatively small samples that may not be powered to detect potential associations (e.g., Gatzke‐Kopp et al., 2014; Lopez‐Duran et al., 2012; Mulligan et al., 2022; Peltola et al., 2014). The current preregistered study aimed to address these gaps in the literature by examining the association between prenatal maternal internalizing symptoms, children's frontal alpha asymmetry, and internalizing and externalizing outcomes in a large sample of children.…”

“…These hypotheses are in line with previous research findings of associations between maternal internalizing psychopathology, SES, and children's internalizing and externalizing problems (Dawson et al., 2003; Monk et al., 2019; Van den Bergh et al., 2020). Lastly, we hypothesized that higher prenatal maternal internalizing symptoms and low SES would be associated with greater right frontal alpha asymmetry (i.e., reduced left alpha signal; H1c; Forbes et al., 2008; Gatzke‐Kopp et al., 2014; Goldstein et al., 2016; Mulligan et al., 2022).…”

“…Given the connection of frontal cortical activation in relation to the processing of emotions, numerous studies have examined frontal alpha asymmetry in relation to psychopathology risk. Greater right frontal alpha asymmetry has been linked to higher internalizing problems such as depression risk, whereas greater left frontal alpha asymmetry has been linked, although inconsistently, to externalizing problems in children (e.g., Feng et al., 2012; Gatzke‐Kopp et al., 2014; Harmon‐Jones & Allen, 1998; Lopez‐Duran et al., 2012; Mulligan et al., 2022; van de Ven et al., 2020). However, a meta‐analysis that examined the relation between children's frontal alpha asymmetry and children's negative outcomes found non‐significant effect sizes for overall internalizing ( d = .19) and externalizing ( d = .04) disorders (Peltola et al., 2014).…”

“…In addition, early SES may play a role in frontal alpha asymmetry; however, only a few studies have examined this relation (Gatzke‐Kopp et al., 2014; Mulligan et al., 2022). A study by Gatzke‐Kopp et al.…”